Larry Bell: Craft brew titan

Larry Bell: Craft brew titan started as a home-brewerBy Rick CoatesLarry Bell is the godfather of the Michigan craft brew industry ofmicrobreweries and brewpubs. While the modern craft brew industrystarted out West, Bell is one of its pioneers this side of theMississippi River. He has inspired legions of brewmasters to follow inhis footsteps.Bell launched the Kalamazoo Brewing Company in 1985 (now called BellsBrewery, Inc.). Their brewery operation is now located in Galesburg,just outside of Kalamazoo. The company also owns the Eccentric Café inKalamazoo where they offer their beers on tap and feature liveentertainment.Bells will be among the breweries represented this weekend at theTraverse City Microbrew & Music Festival. There will also be a BellsBeer Dinner on Tuesday, August 24 at the Top of the Park in TraverseCity.Bells beers are now available in 18 states and Puerto Rico, and thebrewery is currently expanding its production capabilities as well asits Eccentric Café. The company currently employs around 100 people.During the course of the year, Bells offers 50-plus brews. Flagshipbeers include their Amber Ale and Pale Ale, with their summer seasonalOberon being the breweries best seller.In a few weeks Larry Bell will celebrate his brewerys 25thanniversary with a series of events planned in Kalamazoo, includingthe release of a special 25th Anniversary Ale, a dry-hopped strong alemade with Michigan barley grown at the brewerys farm.Larry Bell remains passionate about his brewery and the industry ingeneral. Now 52, Bell was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few yearsago. Fully recovered and as energetic as ever, he took time fromrelaxing during his vacation in Curtis in the Upper Peninsula toanswer a few questions.

Northern Express: Do you remember the first ever batch of homebrew you made?Larry Bell: Yes, I was working in a bakery in Kalamazoo (Bell went toKalamazoo College) at the time and one of the guys made some homebrewand had me over. It was awful and I thought I could do better. So Ibought a homebrew kit and made a batch. I was living with three guysat the time all who liked beer. I remember the beer recipe called forjust a can of malt and a bunch of sugar. It tasted terrible, but youknow, we drank it all, and after that first batch I was inspired tobrew better.

NE: What are some of the things that stick out to you when you reflectback on the early days of the brewery?Bell: Well I went from homebrewing to owning a homebrew supply shop inKalamazoo. I opened the shop to get customers to become stock holdersin my commercial brewery. Well, there was this brewery in Chelsea thathad just opened and I started spying on them and decided to open myown. It was rough going in those days; I think that Chelsea breweryonly lasted a year or two.Basically, the best way to describe those early days was that I hadpeople wanting to buy my homebrew. So I looked into a license and myearly brews were really legalized homebrews. I was using some homebrewequipment in those days and even fermenting in Rubbermaid garbagecans.

NE: So when you opened there was no vision of where you would be in 25 years?Bell: (Laughing) No the only vision we had was whether we would beable to open the doors the next day. That is pretty much how weoperated for the first five years. I started this with $200 my momgave me and a loan I secured through my first wife co-signing on it,along with trading stock for renting a building. Eventually, thisvision became making payroll and getting a paycheck myself. But we arestill here because we have stayed true to our vision of making qualitybeer.

NE: Northern Michigan got behind your brews early, places like Artsin Glen Arbor, The Bluebird in Leland, and the Happy Hour Tavern nearNorthport carried your beers early on. How did that come about?Bell: I have always loved Northern Michigan. Growing up in Chicago weheaded up north all the time; my ancestors settled in the UpperPeninsula. So one day back in 1987, I loaded up a van with beer andheaded north. In those days breweries could self-distribute. Well, allthose guys you mentioned jumped on board and the beers took off upthere. In many ways when I started Kalamazoo Brewing Company we wereconsidered every towns local brew. Now everyone has at least onelocal brewery they claim and I think people should drink theirlocally-made craftbrews; that is the heart of this industry. I am justgrateful that people still remember we were the first and still buyour beers.

NE: A few years back when you were diagnosed with cancer there was arumor swirling about that you were selling your operation toAnheuser-Busch. How did that start?Bell: I really dont know. This industry is full of rumors. Thefunniest one I heard was that I sold it to them for $55 million. Iwould laugh when people would come to me about that and say, if Isold for that kind of money do you think I would really be showing upto work everyday? No truth to that rumor. I still own the place.

NE: Not only were you instrumental in helping to launch the craftbrewindustry this side of the Mississippi, you have been instrumental inlegislative changes. Your thoughts today on any legislative change tobenefit the industry?Bell: Look, the biggest discussion in Michigan for the industry is thethree-tier system (one person makes it, one person distributes it, oneperson sells it). When I started I could self-distribute and that wasvery beneficial for me because distributors were not interested incraft beer in those days. I am a big fan of the three-tier system; itworks for me because I am established. I worked hard to trade my rightto self-distribute for my right to be able to serve my beer onpremise.But do I think new, small breweries should be able to self-distributeuntil they get established? Yes. I also think that there is a need tolook at updating the three-tier system; our industry has changed somuch over the years.

NE: What are some the changes you see for the future of the industry?Bell: I see our craft brew industry continuing to grow. We have notreached our peak at all. Now, I do not see the number ofmicrobreweries increasing, just some people leaving and others comingin. The biggest challenge is tap handles, the number of available taphandles is not growing. I see it being tough for people wanting tostart today because there is so much great beer out there.That said, those of us in the industry are struggling to keep up withthe demand for our products. I know we have 80-plus breweries inMichigan now and the general consensus is our industry here is veryhealthy and vibrant. Shorts Brewery in your area is proof of that.

NE: We first met at what was probably the first ever Bells beerdinner 20 years ago. Do you see beer finally getting its recognitionas a great beverage to pair with food?Bell: I remember that dinner with the Tasters Guild in Traverse Cityand they served sausage and sauerkraut because stereotypically that iswhat people thought was the only food that paired with beer. Sure, ithas come a long way, but I am not sure it will ever catch up withwine. But I am seeing more and more restaurants creating beer listsand more chefs making beer recommendations to go with entrees.

NE: So what is in store for the next 25 years for Bells?Bell: I still am hoping to get a paycheck. No, I feel good about ourfuture. We are in 18 states and Puerto Rico and holding for the timebeing. We may open in new states in a couple of years. I have a lot ofgreat people working for me, we are continually creating new beers. Mydaughter Laura has joined the company as our marketing director, sothere will be a Bell, not a Busch involved with this company forseveral years to come.

NE: Okay, now the tough oNE: your favorite Bells beer.Bell: So the standard (reply): these are all my children and I loveeach of them equally will not fly with you. Right now I am reallyenjoying Quinannan Falls Lager, it is a dry-hopped beer, my personalfavorite at the moment.

NE: Thanks for taking time out on your vacation to answer randomquestions. So what do you do to relax?Bell: Well I fish and play golf. I just got back from the farmersmarket up here. My ancestors settled in this area (Curtis) so I loveit up here. After my cancer scare I have tried to cut my work scheduleback and just come up here as often as possible and veg out. I amgrowing some hops up here and making some mead in the back roomcurrently. Then there are the occasional pontoon excursions on thelake with a couple of beers. Life is pretty good.

Check out the Bells Brewery Beer Dinner Tuesday, August 24 at the Topof the Park Place; phone 231-946-5093 for further details. Bellswill also be participating in the second annual Traverse CItyMicrobrew & Music Festival this Friday and Saturday at the Village atGrand Traverse Commons. They will offer a few beers not typicallyavailable in Northern Michigan, including their Batch 9000 as well assome of their flagship offerings. For tickets and info go towww.porterhouseproductions.com.